Rodeos

Becky - posted on 07/10/2010
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The Calgary Stampede started today. For anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's basically a weeklong drunkfest! LOL! But it is supposed to be an hommage to the western/ranching way of life that got Alberta going. One of the main events of the Stampede is the rodeo, and this always garners a lot of criticism from animal rights activists.

So, what are your thoughts on rodeo? Cruelty to animals, or just good, western entertainment? Are the ways animals are treated in rodeos extreme, or are they just showcasing regular ranch events. (I'm asking here, because not being a farm or ranch girl myself, I honestly don't know.)

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Jessica - posted on 07/11/2010

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Ok, well I'm going to be the odd one out here and say that I don't like rodeos. I understand, from what I've read, that nowadays there are many regulations in place to make sure the animals are well taken care of and not actually harmed- but who knows how well those are enforced in all locations. There are those flank strap things (which yes, I understand don't touch their genitals), electric prods, spurs... again, I know there are regulations in place now but traditionally that wasn't so. Even aside from causing physical pain, the whole thing just doesn't sit right with me. I can understand its a nod to the past and the traditional cowboy way of life and all that, but we don't live that way anymore. Now, its just dominating animals for sport, which I'm sorry, I don't like.

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Barbara - posted on 08/03/2010

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Jen- As someone who used to work as an animal trainer I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to hear people make comments like that. I don't know how many times I've heard someone yell "those tigers should be in Africa where they belong!" (they're from Asia, but they always say Africa) after eating a big steak for dinner. That steak was more than likely raised on a factory farm, where it was tortured for its entire life, then killed. Now, I'm not saying people shouldn't eat meat, (though I myself have been a vegetarian for 15 years) I just wonder how you can pay for someone to torture one animal because it's food, and then get all bent out of shape at the sight of an entertaining but less delicious beast, though it has a significantly better life than the tasty one? You're entitled to your opinion, but it probably isn't as informed as it could be. It's easy to get mad when you only have one side of the story. That's all I'm going to say about that.

I honestly think rodeos are cruel. I also think animal acts in circuses are wrong and I don't support zoos. I do all this while being a fervent carnivore. Probably hypocritical but I rationalize it this way: I need to eat but no one needs to see a bull prodded to frenzy with a rope tied around its testicles to make it buck.

I used to go the Elizabeth Stampede every year when I was growing up. It was a very big Rodeo in Elizabether (small town where I grew up). I didn't ever go for the rodeo portion but more for the funnel cakes and dance at night. I miss those days, it was so much fun!

Yes. Now I think that they are cute and I have had fun attending, but I still find it wrong. I used to care for an elderly lady who LOVED the Superdogs, so I've been many times. It is not that I ever saw any sort of cruelty or poor treatment. I just think that animals are given no REAL options about whether or not they participate. If dogs were independently showing up to auditions like on American Idol (which would be awesome to watch) I would be completely on board. I can accept using animals for service needs, like bomb sniffing or guide dogs, but not just so we can have a laugh, at their expense.

I've been to several rodeos, and while I've never really seen anything that I found particularly objectionable, it does bother me that every year, it seems, some horses end up dying. After hearing about the 3 that died today, I was wondering out loud how much longer the Stampede would continue, before animal rights activists were successful in shutting it down. He said they never would be. Who knows.

I do love the Stampede. I find Calgary tends to be a bit of an uptight city most of the time, and during Stampede, the atmosphere changes and it becomes party town. And there's a free pancake breakfast - or 4 - every single day! I've gone to the rodeo at the Stampede a couple of times, but it was only because we were with people who wanted to go. That's not what I really go for. I used to go for the rides, but they're so fricken expensive! Mostly, I go for the mini-donuts, lol!

Carol, do you even find the Superdogs objectionable? Because that is my favorite part of the Stampede! :) They are super-cute!

I agree with Jocelyn. I have been to 2 rodeos & never saw anything there that I liked or that I thought was right. I am completely opposed to the use of animals for our entertainment. LOL, I don't even like horse back riding for fun (I mean, I enjoyed it when I was a kid, it WAS fun) I don't do animal shows or anything like that at all. I believe it is totally harmful to all involved, animal & human. I understand that some of the techniques demonstrated at a rodeo are utilized in ranching, and that is acceptable in that context only. But not for sheer entertainment. We might as well attend human fighting & gladiators... oh wait, people do that too. Sick!

I hate rodeos. I think they are barbaric. I am a bit hypocritical tho as we are going to the stampede on Friday. I never watch any of the actual rodeo tho; we basically just go so the little ones can see the big animals and eat deep fried oreos. I refuse to watch any of the "sport" part of the stampede. I do have one good thing to say about the Stampede for this year; they changed the rules for the...calf wrestling (or is steer wrestling?) anywho, they switched something or other so that the men can't wrench the cows neck. While I don't support the rodeo, I do appreciate that if they insist on dominating the animals they are at least trying to make it safer for the creatures. It's still not ideal (don't even get me started on the chuckwagons) but at least it is a small step in the right direction.

I love the Calgary Stampede! Brings me back to my childhood. My mom and her whole family grew up there and most still live there. LOVE Calgary! And I can't wait to take Joshua there!I just liked the rides and food...never really been big into the wrangling and barrell racing, bull riding end of it. But my Papa and Grandma lived for it. They had a farm and slaughtered their animals...(which they tried to protect us city kids from and I still walked in on it once) I think it would be hypoctical for me to comment on animal rights seeing as I LOVE my beef! It may seem extreme but farm people LOVE this stuff. (Some, sorry shouldn't generalize). It's a way of life for some people, and some people see it as a sport. I think that the contesnants on Surivor eating animal testicles and people who eat at KFC are no different than people supporting the "sport of the stampede"Ahh wish I was there now :)

lol no worries Julie, still the main area, to me even a that 'few seconds" of discomfort or irritation seems crappy, lol, I'm pretty sure if you did the same to a man they would buck around to! lol Just not a rodeo fan.

Rodeo Rocks! :-D I love the rodeo, and I have always been around them. The one that I will never forget was in Montana...... They had a wild cow milking contest. They brought down a herd from the mountains that were free range (not used to humans) and put all the cows and the bull in a pen. They separated out the calves into a pen next to the main one, so the calves and the cows were going freaking nuts. Then they had teams of two men, each with a rope and a beer bottle. Whatever team could get the most milk into the bottle won. It was pretty interesting to watch them try to rope and settle a cow, avoid the stampeding bull, and try to milk into a narrow beer bottle........

To address this comment: -----"oh and the strap pinches the balls, not penis, hence my lack of sympathy, lol"------

Um, NO, you are wrong. A bulls' scrotum hangs behind him, there is NO WAY it can be in the strap. If you read about the "bull rope/cinch rope" you will read that it does not impinge upon their genitals, it is an irritant.

Rodeo bulls are taken care of better than most any bull I've ever met. Most of their reaction is due to irritation and excitement (they've been bred that way) than any physical discomfort.

I've seen special helmets for roping calves to wear so their heads don't get damaged.

I don't know much about the other events, but like much else in life, it can be done well for the animals or poorly.

Sorry to come across harshly, but that comment was so anatomically incorrect...

I grew up in a small town in northern calif. It was a big cowboy town and we had a rodeo every year. We were labeled the 4th top rodeo around. ESPN would come and tape the three day rodeo. I dont see it as cruelty to animals. Cowboys love there animals and I know many of them and have never seen them treat there animals cruel or the bulls that they rode. And when those bulls are not at the rodeo they are being taken care of real well. If anyone saw the movie 8 seconds about the cowboy Lane Frost there was a point in the movie he rode a bull named Red Rock and rode him for 8 seconds. The bull was owned by a local cowboy from the small town Im from. And he also had other bulls that went to different rodeos and he took really good care of the animals.And I went to school with plenty of barrel racers and they treat there horses better than some of there friends. I love watching and going to the rodeos the only bad thing is Im always the one who has beer spilled all over them because of some one who cant hold there liquor.

I'm not into the rodeo at all and my town has oen every single year in February. It's always a huge attraction to the economy and we have a huge carnival. But I have never seen a rodeo and jsut simply not interested in the sport. So I really can't say if it is cruel or not cause I don't know the ins & outs of a rodeo. I do know that several former students & teacher friends have participated in the barrel racing & roping. It's always a highlight when someone local wins. At our yearly rodeo, there always have the burro and horse adoptions and a lot of animal support groups and fundraisers.

I think most bull rider expect as some point to get hurt. I have never seen the miss treat them It usually a few second on the bull and i'st over, some bull ride's twice a night but still a few seconds. The strap does not induce pain, it works off of pressure and it's only for a few seconds they don't tighten it till the second before being let out of the gate. Life expectancy for rodeo stock is longer than most normal livestock, including saddle horses. Rodeo stock also live a much more natural life in order to keep them wild. Most of the people that own these animals see the valve in them and are important to there bussiness so they are treated well.

Rodeo are so much fun for my family. The on big one we attend every year has events for kids as well. Last year my boys did mutton busting. This year there to big for sheeps. I'm trying to decide it they are big enough for the calves this year. They have some big name country performers each day after the rodeo.

lol I'm torn!! Go dressed to the cowboy nines in my $$$ jeans and stetson, or daisy duke it (lmao well I'm not tempted to do that any more! HAHA!) or city casual palazzo pants, blouse, pumps and a big hat!

Hubby usually talks me into cowboying it up. shit I haven't seen my stetson in a while... crap.

Our county fair is a real COUNTRY affair. all the farmer produce, home baked pies, home crafts etc, the kind of stuff you saw on little house on the prairie

We have something like that here too!It's called "Old Home Week". Hehe.

There's the 4-H animal showcase where you are free to walk through the barn to see all the prize winning animals, rodeo-style shows in our 'arena', horse races (including our big 'Gold Cup &Saucer' race), 'blue-ribbon contests' and WI has a big showcase of quilts, knitting etc. It goes for a little over a week and there's also a midway and a parade. As far as I know the animals are treated better than the humans that organize the event. :P

The only one that can be pretty bad is the chuck wagon races, cause if even one accident happens and the horses are hurt, they are put down.... I'm ok with the bull riding but I also feel no sympathy for the riders that fall off the bull and get hurt..what do they expect..

A lot of the rodeo is relatively harmless. Barrel racing, roping contests, etc.

Back in the day - farmers & ranchers would drag up the worst tempered animal on their property for a rodeo - cowboys would try & ride the animal.

I'm not in the rodeo so I'm not certain how this works but I've seen them.... It seems to be they tie on some sort of strap that pinches their penis?, this is why some animals continue to buck after the rider is off. You'll see another cowboy ride up to take the strap off.

Then there are the spurs. While not lethal .. its painful. I'm not fond of that part. I know its traditional and I'm not sure how they could replace it but ::: sigh ::: as in with bullfighting - its time for that tradition to retire.

Roping & racing animals are treated like royalty. Animals that are roped - aren't ever really hurt - well not at the rodeo, since they later wind up steak and lambchops.

Our county fair is a real COUNTRY affair. all the farmer produce, home baked pies, home crafts etc, the kind of stuff you saw on little house on the prairie.

4-H kids showing off their pampered lambs, pigs, chickens, rabbits & guinea pigs. then the bidding for the prized animals starts. Its a blast. I have a hard time at the animal auction though. the kids were just showing me the cool tricks their pig could do, now arnold is gonna wind up porkchops - my meat cannot have a face, name and do tricks.

i've never seen anything in a rodeo that would make me think they were treating the animals poorly. well do they stick their spurs in them, cause i'm not to big on that if they do? does anybody know? and andrea where in iowa are you from?! i live in marion, a suburb of cedar rapids.

I can't talk bad about rodeos. I grew up with them. I never personally saw anything happen that was cruel to the animals, although I'm sure that does go on at some rodeos. We had typical "cowboy church" and then the bucking broncos, that was our normal rodeo.

My partner is all country all the time. We go to several Rodeo's a year and a big one in September the Tri-State Rodeo in Iowa, USA . We camp out for the week and Rodeo events every day. I don't think it's cruelty to animals.

I love the Calgary Stampede. I loved living in Calgary during stampede, it was so much fun. I want to go back again but can't convince hubby to go.

I'm not a farm or ranch girl but I grew up in a farming area. On a lot of farms, horses are working animals. While, on a daily basis, they mightn't be put throuhg their paces as rigorously as they are during stampede, I don't think it's cruelity to animals. It's more of a showcase of talents and a taste of old west life.